TALLAHASSEE (970 WFLA) -- Scandals helped destroy the Senate careers of Republican Frank Artiles and Democrat Jeff Clemens, and there's talk of cases of sexual harassment and private investigators playing "gotcha" with hidden cameras.
That's leading the leader of the Senate to declare that they take harassment concerns very seriously.
Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart) says they have a zero tolerance policy and encourage people to report harassment. There's only been one complaint in recent years, and it was withdrawn, but the Stuart Republican says that doesn't mean the system isn't working... "I don't think it's fair... to draw a conclusion, that in the absence of complaints, there is or is not sexual harassment... I think the vast majority of lawmakers... conduct themselves appropriately," Negron said.
Clemens resigned abruptly last week, after reports of an affair with a lobbyist. Artiles stepped down during the regular season, partly because of reaction to racial slurs in conversation, but also following reports that he hired a Hooters calendar girl and a Playboy bunny as consultants.